After previewing the feature last week, Threads officially launched the first live test of its Live Chat function on April 22. The new feature will enable selected creators and fans to participate in live chat broadcasts aligned with real-time events. Any user will be able to join, though contributors will be limited.
In some ways, that means this may end up being less of a chat and more of a broadcast messaging option, much like Instagram’s Broadcast Channels. The move comes as Threads looks to keep the pool of contributors within Live Chats relatively small, in an effort to combat spammers.
Threads will alert users to live chats about in-progress events they’ve shown an interest in. Once joined, the chat will appear in their inbox with a “Live” indicator.
Chat members will be able to stay in touch with the latest event commentary, while a selection of chat members will be able to send messages, photos, videos and links within the chat.
“If the chat is full, you can still watch the conversation, react to messages, and vote in polls,” Threads said.
The number of people able to contribute to the chat will be at the discretion of the Live Chat creator, with a limit of 150 participants per chat if the creator makes it an open discussion. Creators can also make their event invite-only, which will mean that anyone can join and view the conversation, but only invited people will be able to contribute.
In some ways, this seems counterintuitive, in that people in some chats will only be able to watch others talk about the live event. However, the focus is on limiting spam comments and improving chat quality by giving chat creators more control over the discussion. In this way, Live Chats will be able to facilitate discussions without having them spammed by bad actors.
That’s what derailed many live event chats on Twitter. Over time, Twitter’s hashtag-based live chats ended up being so cluttered with spam comments that they became difficult to navigate, especially during major events.
Threads is hoping to avoid this. Live Chats will also include live scores for sports matches, and eventually, real-time update widgets for other events.
Threads said Live Chats will initially be available to a select group of creators, “including Community Champions who are actively engaged in a Threads community, spark conversations, and join others.”
Users who can start a Live Chat will be able to do so via the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of their Community.
This feature could provide another means for Threads to tap into live discussion, and make the platform a bigger home for real-time engagement. That’s one key area where X remains the leader. When a live event is happening, many people still turn to X for the latest updates, and the app remains hugely popular for sports fans. In fact, sports is the most discussed topic group in the app, by a big margin.
Threads is still trying to find a way to win over sports communities, and maybe topic-based live chats, led by known community champions and spokespeople, will help, as long as spammers don’t clog up the main feed.
Threads’ first Live Chats are being launched for the NBA Playoffs, with community champions and media personalities hosting Live Chats during live games.
